I know it may sound a bit morbid, but books dealing with anything about death has such a special place in my heart just because. That's why when I read the book blurb, it immediately got my attention. Not to mention this is the first time in such a long while since I've read anything paranormal. And since this is a paranormal romance -- and YA, to boot -- I'm instantly sold.

Book Blurb:

Death Wish is the first of the five books in the Cerulean series -- which is a "paranormal romance set in a world where angels walk among us". (To know more about them, click here.)This book revolves around a teenager named Scarlett Blake, who, after the death of her sister Sienna, set out to their hometown to unravel the mystery surrounding the sudden event. There she'll meet many people including a boy who'll open up her heart, a new friend who will comfort her, and a mysterious grey-eyed boy.. and with it, she'll discover secrets, to her world and even with her identity.. that will shake the very core of what she was made to believe.

Whew. Quite heavy, but very intriguing indeed.

First off, the beginning. Those first sentences, first words, that're supposed to grab a reader's attention and make them decide to go for it.

"Waves everywhere, swirling, surging, seething – a raging melange of foam and salt and inky water biting at me, pulling at me, thrusting upon me a solitary invitation: Death."

It's not the best first sentence I've read (Hello "Love in the Time of Cholera", "Hard Love").. but it pulls you in -- and get pulled I did. I dived (pun intended) into this expecting paranormal all over (it's been a while, as I've said, so yeah, no judging) but there were moments in the book, particularly the first half, when I felt that it could do a lot more of that element.

Tayte's writing is lyrical as it is relatable. I love how it can get easy-going to heavy in such a fluid motion. I'm a sucker for book quotes -- not strictly those that could stand alone, but also those that can only be understood and can affect you once you read the book and followed its journey.

Here're some examples:

"There was a moment of stillness inside, and then the dam broke, I wondered how, after all these weeks, there could be any tears left."

How there could be no enough tears, no enough missing. How you think you've moved on but the truth is you just got better in handling it. You don't break down anymore -- at least, less frequently.

"Sometimes I even convinced myself I could still feel her out there, in the way i had always felt her -- sad or happy, angry or frightened -- our whole lives. But she was gone, i knew that."

That state of denial -- even if you already knew, at the pit of your stomach, the sad truth that you can never bring that person back.

"I thought of Sienna, lying beneath the grass at my feet, and then I thought of her watching me from above. I looked up, I smiled."

That acceptance and letting go. :)

I thought reading through the "normal" parts of the books would be a bore... but no, it has been a continuing journey of revisiting emotions long gone and long understood. And it warmed me up and made me happy at realizing how far I've come. Without realizing it, reading through this book easily turned into a personal experience in itself -- and that's one of the things I love about reading.

It was such a wonderful experience witnessing how Scarlett came to terms with what happened to her sister... and somewhere along the way, I can feel her emotions mirroring my own. First person POVs are the best, really.

And the romance! I must admit that it was a bit predictable at first, but the emotional connection of the two built around mutual experiences about loss and comforting gestures was such a wonder to behold. It was easy, not forced -- natural.

"I fell, and I didn't want to be saved."

I'm literally writing this review with Ed Sheeran's Kiss Me on loop! -- and it gives me the goosies remembering that romantic atmosphere and the way Scarlett said it. I was in love with their love.

But in time, I was also intrigued with Jude -- the mysterious, grey-eyed guy that holds the key to most of Scarlett's questions. There came a time when my imagination was too busy formulating how a love story could brew from these two -- but I got too caught up, and before I knew it, things are progressing and I'm left confused I don't even know what to think anymore.

Reading through this book was a breeze. Paranormal romance has not been a staple genre in my reads, but I must admit that this is quite good. The concept, the idea. And though the 1st book gives us too vague, or even too little of the information to which the whole Cerulean series revolves, it is comforting to note that there're still 4 books left to make it a complete story altogether. This first book focuses on how Scarlett (and the reader, I guess) was introduced to that other world.

While the ending was too much of a cliffhanger, it raised the anticipation to read the next book, Forget Me Not, in the series. I myself cannot wait to get a hold of the next one. Definitely recommended!

My Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 out of 5 stars)Quotable Quotes:

"It's the getting back on each time you fall off that counts." Luke

"What seems to us a sunset is a sunrise in another land" Sienna's cenotaph

"Any truth is better that indefinite doubt." Scarlett

"Note to self: when feeling good, steer clear of contact with anyone who can change that."

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Okay. Spoiler alert. Do forgive me. For the life of me, I can’t get to the bottom of my feelings for this monster of a book without droppi...

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